Teaching

Ever had a bad luck that dooms your day? And as if that's not enough, your friends or classmates are highflying, and that can demoralize you indeed. After recent discussion among our colleagues and students, I'm convinced that taking a look at these bad luck theories can help.

The bad luck theory is one all-important law of human destiny. If we obey the bad luck theory, we shall almost be sure to get into endless trouble. The bad luck theory goes like this: "If I am assigned to a superb teacher like KL, I'll have the advantages that I didn't have." Or: "If I don't get the chance to listen to the heart sound of that patient with atrial septal defect, I won't be able to pick it up at the final examination..." I can hear the sigh already.

When we perceive ourselves at a disadvantage in our school or workplace (that is, most of the time) we tend to get anxious and picture the worst thing that could keep us struck. We sat there and imagined the worst lives that would be without the luck, playing out the consequences or self-fulfilling prophecy.

I'm sure the bad luck theory is too devastating and should be got rid of. There's going to be a completely different story if we remember the modern Pygmalion story of the musical My Fair Lady – I know this makes me sound optimistic, but I am – and accept ourselves who we are and what we have. To draw upon my student experience, I still remember the autodidact days when we didn't have a whiff of teaching on blood diseases. I ended up reading a textbook of Essential Haematology from cover to cover (but not other subjects within the area of medicine) by the time I graduated from medical school. Of course, I have better knowledge on this topic than other subjects for which I received tons of lectures.